In the current climate of state-mandated education standards and assessment that prioritize math and language arts in U.S. schools, drawing, an accessible and/or pleasurable endeavor for a wide variety of children, is undervalued. Although research in art education over the past four decades has shown children's drawing and drawings to be rich…

When her director first asked her to teach an art class in the infant room, the author must admit that she thought her director was crazy. She nodded and smiled, pretending confidence, all the while thinking, "Teach art to infants? What does that even mean?" But when a teacher is trying to get a job at one of the best early childhood…

Gives instructions for student art projects inspired by the work of five famous artists: Pablo Picasso, Alexander Calder, Henri Matisse, Jackson Pollock, and Michelangelo. Directions for making art smocks and a display kiosk are also included. (ME)

Discusses the renewed interest in clay as a modeling compound in early childhood programs; describes the nature of clay and presents a working vocabulary. Suggests methods of working with clay, including introducing clay to children, discovering its uses, clean up, firing clay, and finishing baked clay. Includes activity suggestions and…

Discusses children's use of crayons, markers, and other art materials at various developmental stages. Suggests art activities and guidelines for teachers for each developmental stage. (BB)

Maintains that children's art has value in its own right in that it can help children satisfy their need to create and express themselves by playing and experimenting with art materials. (BB)

Offers practical advice for teaching art in early childhood classrooms. Encourages respect for children's individual artistic style. Discusses paints and markers, blocks, fingerpaints, bubbles, collages, and other art materials. Includes recipes for fingerpaint. (GH)

Describes the types of classroom art experiences that should be provided for young children and discusses reasons teachers continue to rely on recipe art lessons. Suggests learning center activities and materials, as well as ways that teachers can facilitate creativity. Considers how coloring books dampen children's motivation to draw. (KB)

Describes the advantages of using household food ingredients for art and science activities. Also discusses experiences with foods that are appropriate and inappropriate. (AS)

This paper first gives a historical overview of mosaics, discussing mosaic masks made by the Aztecs and floor mosaics made by the Greeks, as well as the Roman mosaics at Pompeii and the Byzantine decorative mosaics exemplified by those at Ravenna. The paper then elaborates on children's mosaic making observed during research conducted between 1986…

Based on the view that young children will benefit from having art experiences as an integrated part of the curriculum and based on a 3-year study conducted with 5 early childhood teachers, this book presents information on the theory, research, and practice of art in early childhood education. Chapter 1 begins with a description of the…